Secret Enchantment
by Ginta
Summary: 5 female pilot counterparts show up, but Duo has his Duette,and Heero & Relena are in love.With the added difficulties of a new war, and the other 3 pilots head-over-heels in love, how can all this turn out right? *NOT FINISHED!!!!*
1. Chapter One

Secret Enchantment  
  
  
  
BY: Okami-chan  
  
  
  
~Disclaimer~ I don't, never have, and never WILL own anything from Gundam Wing. Except Kaoru, and anyone else I made up. **Duette is a character made up by Aiko-chan!** ^__^. All rights go to Bandai, Sunrise, and T.V. Asahi! Let's not forget the original creators, Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino!!  
  
  
  
It had been several years after the last Gundam war. It was the year A.C. 199. The Gundam pilots and company were to be going on vacation. The rainforest in Africa, chosen by one of the love-struck couples, Duo and Duette. Duette had brown hair in two long braids with deep blue eyes. She had Duo's type of bangs. You couldn't say it was a solid, compassionate relationship going, for Duette moved things along very very fast. She usually seduces the awaiting Duo almost every night. Duette both makes the world upside down and topsy-turvy. Duo had liked the Amazon because it was unique and sure to be packed with adventure. Quatre had agreed whole- heartedly. Duette liked because the jungle was steamy. She shared these opinions freely among everyone else, which struck fear into everyone, mostly Quatre. Even though she loves Duo, Duette still likes to flirt and seduce the other pilots as much as possible if not Duo. She found it hard to do so with Wufei or Trowa or Heero; mostly because they weren't so open like that, they just aren't, and because Heero has Relena. Poor Quatre was an easy target. He became most of her entertainment when not Duo for whatever reason. The only other couple, Relena and Heero, went along with it fine, as long as they would be together. Those last few years has really strengthened their bond. Trowa needed a break from the circus, so gladly joined. Duo had prodded, urged, and bugged the hell out of Wufei to go with them. Since everyone else was, he finally realized he DID need a vacation.  
  
"COME ON, DUO!!!! Let's go! Let's go!" urged an anxious Duette.  
  
"Yeah, we're going to be late for our flight!" Quatre yelled across their house.  
  
"But my hair isn't done! Just another ten minutes, ok?" Duo hollered back from the bathroom.  
  
Just then Duette burst in, and wrapped her arms tightly around Duo.  
  
"Sweetie, we don't wanna be late for our honeymoon!"  
  
Duo made a face, "EH? Duette! We're not married and we won't be for a long time! And besides, why would we go with five other people?"  
  
"MAXWELL! Hurry the hell up!" Wufei was becoming VERY agitated. Much more of this and he would just forget all this.  
  
Heero and Relena were sitting quietly on the couch, also getting peeved at the stalling American. Trowa was standing near the door with Quatre and Wufei. Quatre looked at his watch. It was 10:47 AM and their flight was scheduled to leave at 11:15. It took awhile to get to the airport, they needed to start moving! Just then, Wufei took off to fetch Duo. Everyone else got tired of waiting so they sat in the grass green minivan. Wufei returned, dragging a protesting Duo by the braid. Duette just followed at his heels. Duo was thrown in the very back seat, where Quatre was sitting. He landed right on him.  
  
"OI!! GET OFF ME DUO!"  
  
"Hey Wufei, have you ever noticed that you..need a woman?" Wufei was going to pay.  
  
At this question, Quatre shrunk down and hoped Duette wouldn't bring up the fact that he did too. He didn't want any seductive sympathy, none of the sort.  
  
"Aah! Okay, I'm sorry woman, just don't touch me! Yick!" Wufei didn't want to be seduced by Duette, anything but that.  
  
Trowa decided to be the driver, after all, it WAS his minivan. It had a t.v. and Sega Dreamcast. Of course Duo would be hogging it, until Quatre fought over it with him.  
  
"Get outta the way! I'M going to play!" Relena said to break it up, partly for poor Trowa's sake, since he was trying to drive.  
  
She picked up the controller, and started to play Sonic Adventure. Duo and Quatre just sat back, grumbling about how THEY wanted to play. They were watching and saw how good she was. Sonic isn't that type of game that's very hard, just about anyone can beat it. Except Duette of course.  
  
"Hey you guys! You can make it subtitled! Cool!" Relena shrieked as discovered this awesome feature. She was playing the character Amy right now.  
  
"Why'd you pick that weak onna?" Wufei questioned.  
  
"That 'weak onna' is the only female player in this game!" Relena said, pissed at the sexist comment.  
  
"Hey! You found a Chao egg! Get it, get it!" Duo bugged her.  
  
"I am! Jeez."  
  
She went to the gardens and dropped off the egg. She then went around the garden to see if her other egg had hatched yet. It had.  
  
"AW! It's so kawaii!" Relena and Duette squealed together.  
  
"Does it talk?" Duette wanted to know.  
  
"No, does it look like it does?" Wufei said, kinda mean.  
  
"You need to feed it first, do you know how?" Quatre helped.  
  
"Ummm, remind me?"  
  
"Shake a tree with ripe fruit."  
  
"Oh yeah! Thanks."  
  
"Awesome color! It's silver! Not as good as black though." Duo said, mostly to himself.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
Amy shook the tree and the fruit came down. She fed it to the little baby and it showed a heart next to it.  
  
"Relena, you're good." Heero commented.  
  
Relena beamed, "Thank you so much, Heero!"  
  
She dropped the controller and hugged him passionately. He cuddled with her. Quatre, Duo, and Duette all made a dive for the discarded controller.  
  
"Let me play! You can go and make out with Duette!" Quatre suggested.  
  
"Gah..you don't wanna do that NOW, do you Duette?" Duo asked nervously. He wanted to play badly.  
  
"Anytime for you, Duo, honey." Duette batted her eyes seductively.  
  
"There ya go! I'm gonna play now!" Quatre picked up the controller and reset the Dreamcast.  
  
Just as he picked Tails, Trowa said, "We're here! Hurry up, we are a little late!"  
  
"Get up you lazy bums!" Wufei urged.  
  
"We are, Mr.Sexist!'' Duette mumbled.  
  
They all piled out of the van and ran as fast as they could with all that baggage, inside towards Gate 56. Just as the last announcement for take off was made, they got situated in their seats. Since the seats were together by two's here's how it went: Duo and Duette on the far right, Heero and Relena right behind them, Wufei diagonal from Heero and Relena(he chose to sit alone along with Trowa and Quatre), Quatre across from Duo and Duette, and Trowa in front of Wufei. Quatre didn't sit with Trowa because he wanted to be alone, to think, to just let his mind drift. He glanced at Heero and Relena, a very happy couple. Relena was leaning on Heero's shoulder, sleeping soundly. Heero was staring out the window, deep in thought, or maybe just gazing. He didn't know. Then he looked Duo and Duette's way. He shivered. Duette was trying to undo Duo's shirt. She was also reaching for his pants.  
  
"Duette, just wait, okay? This is a public aircraft! Stop, stop!" Duo didn't want to be the center of entertainment for whoever else was a passenger on this jet.  
  
"But I can't Duo, honey, dear! I feel deprived of you and your body!"  
  
"Eeeh, Duette!" Duo moaned, "At least wait till we get a room somewhere in the rainforest, okay? Just you and me."  
  
Duette looked disappointed, then happy, "Alrighty! We'll find a dense area, ne?"  
  
Duo sighed wearily, "Duette, a ROOM in a hotel! I'm not going to make out with you in the trees or something!"  
  
"Oooh, but It'd be so steamy! You know!"  
  
From there on Quatre tuned them out and stared out his window, down on the Pacific Ocean. The sea, the deep, mysterious range that overwhelmed most of the planet. He turned around in his seat to see what Wufei and Trowa were doing. Trowa was reading a book while Wufei was listening to Shonen Knife on his CD player, surprisingly a shoujo group he likes. Duette had fallen asleep in Duo's arms, and he was asleep too. Quatre's eyes softened at the sight of Heero and Relena. Their positions had changed to a close embrace, them both now awake.  
  
Relena was desperately bored, "Heero, you wouldn't happen to have a Game Boy or something?"  
  
"Gomen Relena, all we have is that Seventeen magazine, want to read it now?" Heero suggested.  
  
"Alright, look at it with me please!" Relena beckoned.  
  
Heero sighed and agreed to read and make her happy.  
  
"Aww, I'd look so pretty in this, ne?" Relena asked as she pointed to a cute blonde girl in purple and green lingerie.  
  
Heero blushed, "Of course, Relena. Anything would look good on you."  
  
Both of them locked in a everlasting gaze of satisfactory and happiness.  
  
Relena beamed brightly, "I love you, Heero."  
  
"I love you too." Heero wrapped his arms and kissed her longingly.  
  
Quatre's eyes started to glaze when someone tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"Quatre, hey man! Helloooo!" Duo called across from him.  
  
"Huh? Oh, where did Duette go?" Quatre had noticed she was gone.  
  
"She went to the bathroom. She was begging me to go with her and guard her. I'm surprised you didn't hear us." Duo was trying to figure out the look on the Arab's face.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well? We should just about be there. We've been to Africa before, Kenya, but definitely not the rainforest! Whoohoo! This is gonna be fun!" Duo could start to see the continent.  
  
So did Quatre. Heero and Relena glanced out and saw the beach, and then some foliage.  
  
"Where are we going?" Duette had come back, clueless as usual.  
  
Everyone sweat dropped. She had been told several times, and she didn't even know the majority of the Amazon was in Brazil. She had probably forgotten.  
  
"The Amazon, stupid woman!" Wufei said with a look of 'Duh!' on his face.  
  
"Hey, Wufei, just chill out, okay? We're almost there!" Trowa was getting annoyed with the sexist stuff. So was Wufei insulting Duette.  
  
"I'm not stupid! For your information, I knew that! Specifically!" Duette stuck out her tongue at him.  
  
"Knock it off, guys!" Heero intervened, "We're here." 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
  
  
Everyone had a good stretch and went to eat somewhere.  
  
"Here's a question: where do you get fast food around here?"  
  
Duo was definitely deprived, "I wanna double cheeseburger with the works!"  
  
Quatre rolled his eyes, "They don't have hotdogs and french fries and junk like that, at least not in this town."  
  
"Well, this is where we're staying, so just go to some hotel and check in. I'm tired!" Duette whined.  
  
"Okay, where to?" Trowa asked.  
  
Heero got out a map from the airport, "Here, the Kasawa Resort...."  
  
The next day, everyone was all set to trek through the rainforest with the help of a girl that knew the area (she had been living here for two months) that offered to be their tour guide. Duette in particular thought this was the best idea in the world, knowing her. She wanted to get lost with Duo and...The guide's name was Kaoru Takuino. She had long, flowing chocolate brown hair, green eyes, and she was the same age as them, 19. Quatre was taken by her at first sight.  
  
"OI! Hurry up Quatre, or you'll get lost!" Duette called from where the group was starting off, startling him out of his reverie, "Only me and Duo are supposed to get lost together, hell, you too! Hehehe!"  
  
"I'm...coming." He responded, catching up.  
  
There's something about her, like.. His thoughts were interrupted when Duette grabbed him in for a hug, pushing his head a bit lower(if you know what I mean.^^0)  
  
"GAHHH!" was all he could manage, his voice muffled.  
  
Duo and the others turned back to look. Duette was enjoying herself, she wouldn't let him go. Held firmly in her grasp, Quatre struggled desperately to get away.  
  
"HEEEEELP ME!!!!!! DUETTE! WHAT ARE YOU-GET OFF ME!!!!!"  
  
"Heh heh, feels good, doesn't it?" Duette prodded.  
  
Everyone gawked, wide-eyed, watching the scene. Duo was the first to come to Quatre's rescue. Trowa's mouth was hanging open.  
  
"Duette!! Let him go now! You can forget ANY plans we made!" Duo was yelling at Duette.  
  
Then he made a face and said, his voice low, "You poor guy..man, now you know what I go through EVERY night!"  
  
"Oooook, I guess that's enough of a sample." Duette shoved Quatre away.  
  
Quatre made a noise. His eyes were very very wide, then reverted after a while. Kaoru just stood there, laughing inwardly and yet feeling sorry for the guy.  
  
"You know, it looks like you have a man," Kaoru gestured towards Duo, "so why do you do that to the other guy?"  
  
"Kaoru, you'd never understand Duette's ways. I'm Duo." He introduced himself and everyone else, "..and Quatre is the guy Duette tried to seduce." Duo gave a look to Duette, one of embarrassment, and hopelessness.  
  
Relena scolded Duette, "You know, that wasn't very nice to do! Especially in front of a stranger!"  
  
"What does that mean? It's not nice to do at all, that's just screwed up!" Quatre didn't like the way she said that, "Then again, that's Duette for you. One of a kind."  
  
Everyone but Duette hung their heads at this.  
  
"Well, I'm glad that wasn't me, don't get mixed up with those dumb women! That's exactly what will happen to you!" Wufei pre-cautioned.  
  
"Wufei! It already did happen to me!" Quatre pointed out.  
  
Trowa made a face, "Man, how come you didn't jump at her throat?"  
  
"I couldn't do that to her, she's Duette! Anyway, I'd have to deal with Duo." Quatre just had to live expecting stuff like that..had to CONTINUE to live like that.  
  
"Relena, I'm so glad you're not like her," Heero said, relieved, "the last thing we need is another Duette."  
  
"You must be used to that." Kaoru said to Quatre.  
  
He blushed, "Yeah, I guess so. But Duo gets it more because he's her boyfriend. Relena is Heero's girlfriend. Me, Trowa, and Wufei  
  
..don't have one."  
  
"They look very happy together, Heero and Relena anyway." Kaoru's eyes were tinged with loneliness for a split second.  
  
Quatre saw it.  
  
"Ummm, Duo and Duette are too..they just don't show it, that's all. It's very sweet." the blonde trailed off.  
  
"We should get going if you want me to show you all where the river meets up..there's a waterfall and a cave too." Kaoru said, rounding everyone up.  
  
"Duo!" Duette shouted, rooted to the place she was standing.  
  
They had been in the rainforest for 3 hours. Duette was tired and wanted to stop, but to save time they had to push on.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" he ran over to her, "Come on!"  
  
"Carry me!" she demanded  
  
"Nani?! Carry you.umm." Duo didn't know what to do.  
  
"I'm tired and my legs hurt! Please Duo!" Duette begged.  
  
"Okay, get on." He figured they could get to their destination faster.  
  
"YAY! Arigato Duo!" she cried. At least she was happy, Duo thought to himself as he carried her piggyback.  
  
Kaoru had been whacking away a narrow path with the blunt end of Wufei's sword. No one knew why he brought it, there wasn't any reason anyone else could see to bring it. It was a miracle Wufei even let Kaoru use it. They finally reached the waterfall. A few vibrantly colored parrots perched nearby squawked.  
  
"So, ...this is.it?" Duo asked between breaths. He had been carrying Duette for most of the time.  
  
He dropped her on the ground.  
  
"Duo! Hey, why'd ya do that? Duoooooo!" she wailed.  
  
"Babe, I'm tired! Why don't you take a dive in that pool?" Duo said to get her off his back.  
  
"Very beautiful, ne, Heero?" Relena said as she cranked her head upward to see the waterfall.  
  
"Yeah, maybe we can take a swim later." Heero responded.  
  
"Trowa, Wufei, how does that sound?" Quatre asked.  
  
"Sure." Trowa said.  
  
"Alright, that trip was long and irrelevant!" Wufei agreed to a nice cold swim.  
  
"I saw a toucan! It was sooo cool!" Duo exclaimed as it flew away.  
  
Duette wasn't happy, "Oh, so you like birds more than me? I'm cool, sexy, right?" she pouted.  
  
"Oh, Duette! You know I love you." Duo said as he pulled her in for a peck on the lips.  
  
"I LOVE YOU DUO!" Duette was in one of her happiest moods.  
  
"So, why did you come to the rainforest?" Kaoru asked.  
  
The Gundam pilots all looked at each other. Quatre responded, "We just.had to get away from it all, you know."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Why did YOU come here to Africa?" Quatre was curious.  
  
He wanted to learn more about this girl..she was somehow different, he could feel her emotions. He felt loneliness, recklessness, and a certain deep pain from long ago from her. But he didn't want to open up any emotional wounds there might be. Her eyes were very sad, and she would be open to others, only to be polite.  
  
"You know what? I don't really know, you see. Something deep inside just told me I should be here, now. It all feels right.." She paused, "like I was supposed to meet you all."  
  
Fate. That's what it was in reality.  
  
Trowa was the first one to decide to go in the waterfall. He was hot, exhausted, and needed to relax. He retrieved what looked like swimming pants from his backpack. Now, why on earth did he have one, Duo thought.  
  
Trowa was just about to jump in when Duo called out, "Trowa! Where in the hell did you get the idea to bring your swim shorts?"  
  
"Catherine said there's always a place to swim wherever you go. She wouldn't let me leave without them." Trowa said before plunging in.  
  
"That's not fair! Oh well!" Duo said as he improvised by simply taking off his shirt and going in.  
  
"Oooh! It's.cold!" he said as he came to the surface.  
  
"Oh Duo, wait for me!" Duette said coming around a corner of thick foliage, wearing a very revealing bathing suit. It was a fluorescent yellow bikini.  
  
Duette jumped off a nearby rock, sending the spray all over Heero and Relena.  
  
"Omae o korosu!" Heero said as he took after Duette.  
  
Heero didn't really care about his clothes. They could live through just about anything, like himself.  
  
"Ah! Duo, save me!" Duette swam for Duo.  
  
"Heero! Now, now, she didn't mean to get you guys wet.help!" Duo tried to escape Heero but it was futile.  
  
He pushed Duo underwater. A few seconds went by and Duo came up, panting. Duette rushed over. Duo decided to give up on Heero. Like wise for Heero. Just then Relena came out of nowhere for a high jump off a ledge on the side of the falls. She made a huge splash. Then there was a water fight between Duette and Relena. Heero and Duo just watched, and, as if nothing had happened, Heero just got out and walked away. Guess that's all the sociality I'm gonna get from him today, Duo thought.  
  
Kaoru and Quatre had gone to explore the cave. Maybe then he could get her to talk more, to get to know each other better.  
  
"Wow, this is cool. How long have you known about this place?" he asked.  
  
"Oh, about as long as I've been here." She responded.  
  
"Hmm, what's-" Quatre was cut off by Duette yelling from the entrance of the cave.  
  
"Oh Quatre! Don't you want to take a swim with us?" she called cheerfully.  
  
"You want to, Kaoru?" Quatre asked her.  
  
"Okay! Let's get going, shall we?" Kaoru started out of the cave behind Quatre.  
  
Just as they came out, they could hear a machine buzzing above. Everyone looked up to see mobile suits flying by.  
  
"What the hell." Duo trailed off a he watched them zoom away.  
  
They looked like Tauruses. What are they doing here? Quatre  
  
thought frantically.  
  
"Heero, those look like.like mobile suits!" Relena said as she reverted her gaze from the sky to him.  
  
None of the Gundam pilots didn't know what to do. They couldn't let Kaoru know who they were, or actually who they used to be. Something was going on, it couldn't be OZ or White Fang. All those organizations had been wiped out. Just then they could hear explosions in the distance.  
  
"Huh? Guys, I think we should head back." Kaoru said as she started back.  
  
Everyone followed. Kaoru knew exactly what those were. She had been inside one.  
  
Trowa whispered to Heero, "What do we do? Our Gundams are in Japan!"  
  
"Apparently, we are needed. We have to do something right away without stirring up suspicion from Kaoru." He responded.  
  
"We have to contact the Preventers." Wufei said.  
  
When they got back to their hotel, they made to call.  
  
Lucrezia Noin picked up the phone, "Hello?"  
  
"This is Heero."  
  
"What's wrong? Has something happened over there?" Noin knew if Heero called, it must be dead serious.  
  
"We don't know who, but someone has started a war over here. We saw Taurus Mobile Dolls fly over the Amazon. We need our Gundams"  
  
"I'll get right on it. You can expect them by the end of this week."  
  
Today was Sunday.  
  
"Alright. Goodbye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Heero hung up the phone and turned to face the group. They had to somehow make it through a whole week without their Gundams. An explosion occurred just miles away from their resort. Something had to be done. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
  
  
"Well, we better move to a safer location." Kaoru was very confused. Something like this hadn't happened in a long time.  
  
The group of 7 was then gathered in Heero's room.  
  
"Man, just when I thought we could get away from it all, there it is, following us EVERYWHERE!" Duo said with a groan.  
  
"We need to find out what's going on, you guys." Trowa confirmed.  
  
"I hope we'll be able to steal some mobile suits or something, otherwise we are sitting ducks." Wufei said, pissed that he couldn't get a decent vacation.  
  
"Duo, what are we gonna do? We won't get to enjoy our tropical getaway!" Duette wailed.  
  
"We'll think of something." Duo replied.  
  
Relena didn't know what to say, "What happened? A war must have started up, but why here? We would've seen it on the news, ne?"  
  
"You're right, what could possibly be going on?" Quatre agreed, his mind more on Kaoru. What would she do? If she didn't escape, she could get hurt.  
  
Kaoru came in just then, "Everyone packed? Sorry I couldn't show you all around more. You should get going."  
  
Yes, before something else happens, she thought as she made her plans.  
  
When the group settled down in another city, they found it even more disastrous. There were piles of rubble that were houses. A few foundations still stood, so they unpacked in an untouched motel. The locals had all evacuated safely to another place. But there were still some people left to their homes.  
  
Karou was still at the Kasawa. She had been in a top-secret mission, and been strictly trained to pilot mobile suits, more specifically, a Gundam designed especially for her, Ginga Breeze. It was an extraordinary suit, and only for the correctly trained pilot. She had known about the Gundam pilots and all the guerilla wars in the past they had fought in. She had been in the colony Quatre demolished while experiencing the zero system for the first time. Kaoru barely escaped. If only he knew what he had almost done.  
  
Heero didn't know how they were going to fight with Relena and Duette with them. They couldn't just send them back. The two of them would just have to stay somewhere, out of danger.  
  
"But Duo! I don't want you to go fight! Can't you stay with me?" Duette pressed, "I don't wanna be lonely!"  
  
Duo had no other choice, "Look, I'm sorry, but this is the way it's gotta be."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll keep you company!" Relena offered.  
  
"Ok, since I won't be cuddling with Duo for awhile," Duette sniffed.  
  
Kaoru went to the secret base where her Gundam was housed. It was deep in the rainforest. At last she came to a clearing, and there was the warehouse. Her trainer, Furlene, had died 10 years ago, protecting the young Kaoru from a forceful blast by one of OZ's Mobile Dolls. Furlene was her best friend, and had designed her Gundam. She had also built this warehouse, with the help of Kaoru. The truth was, Kaoru didn't know where she was born, but she knew it wasn't here in Africa.  
  
Quatre crossed her mind. He had been very nice and had thanked her for the short tour. She sensed something strange about him, and as a matter of fact, about all the Gundam pilots. They were all like her, in a way, for they had all undergone the special training. She wondered how they were doing.  
  
The next day, the pilots decided to investigate this possible threat. A meeting had been held, and with the help of everyone in the group, and the "marvelous" talents of Duo, a plan formed. While everyone was somewhat deep in thought, Duo munched on a bag of potato chips, which he also shared with Duette.  
  
The pilots would go under cover as 5 tourists supposedly looking for direction. (which was partly true.a little ^^)  
  
Duette thought that was the funnest thing in the world, and didn't want to miss out, "But that sounds like a lotta fun..and without me! Come on!"  
  
Duo scratched his head, "Well,.I dunno! It's not just my decision, you know. Heero?"  
  
"Duette? YOU actually want to go on this absurd mission!?" Wufei exclaimed, "Hell, why not!"  
  
Heero thought this was very serious. Africa was being attacked, either by some new group,.or a resurrected one?  
  
Trowa sighed and faced Duette, "Ok. Let me clear this up. You want to dress up like a tourist-"  
  
"TROWA, we ARE tourists!!" Duette said, aggravated.  
  
"You know, like cheesy tourists looking for the nearest Disney World in...well.Africa!" Duo tried to get the idea in her head.  
  
"Yeah, well, since it very well looks like Duette's gonna be tagging along, I want to too! Can I, Heero?" Relena DID NOT want to be left alone in some crummy resort.  
  
"Relena, it could get ugly. We don't know what we're up against." Heero contradicted.  
  
"Heero! Please, what could these people do to us after all that's happened? And besides, I've seen a Gundam,.I know how it works. Hey! I'm gettin better every time I pilot it!" Relena had some good reasons, or at least convincing ones.  
  
That woke Quatre from any thoughts, "YOU'VE been in a Gundam, Relena?"  
  
"Are you kidding? It's so easy!" Relena could do anything if she really wanted to.  
  
Quatre made a face and everyone but Duette sweat dropped.  
  
Duette went over to pat Relena on the back, "Well, I see some people have better men than others, ne?"  
  
She glared at Duo.  
  
"Hey! Hey! Not my fault! You never asked me to teach you!"  
  
"Hmph, I guess I'll learn from Quatre then! Come teach me!"  
  
"No no! That's okay, I'd be happy to show you, Duette darling!" Duo ran over to Duette, "I will, ok?"  
  
"I have better things to do anyway, Duette," Quatre said as he continued to converse with Trowa and Heero.  
  
Wufei had left the room, probably to find something in Duo's suitcase that looked like it belonged to a cheesy tourist. He just might find something there.  
  
Heero gathered everyone back together in his room by firing a shot. It sure as hell worked.  
  
"Geez, Heero. You could've just yelled over! No need to alert the whole town!" Duo said as he ran in with everyone.  
  
"We're leaving. Now." Heero stated.  
  
No one had to really change that much. It fit in with what they were looking for, unfortunately. Trowa's minivan had come with them to Africa, so they hopped in and started off. EVERYONE had to go, so here comes the totally kick a§§ comeback of the Gundam pilots: Gundamless, and with 2 beautiful girls to spare. They were lucky if they even found a base.  
  
It wasn't hard to find something. Trowa just simply followed the source of the explosions made by the Tauruses, and from there follow them back to wherever their base might be. The green minivan also helped to blend them in. No one tried to play the Dream Cast, this was unfortunately their first mission on their vacation. Wufei saw Duette's eyes stealthily glide towards a controller, then outstretching a hand, only for it to be smacked away.  
  
"Owwwie, that hurt, Wufei!" Duette said as she rubbed her hand.  
  
"Weak onna, you shouldn't be playing games, well, you should'nt even be here at all. But since you are, at least keep your mind on our mission!" Wufei snarled.  
  
Quatre was more with it all now, "Yeah Duette. Stop playing games, we ARE on a mission after all."  
  
"No! Not you too, Quatre!" Duette wailed.  
  
"Duette, you can't play. So just look out the window or something. Try not to piss everyone else off just cause you don't get what you want." Trowa said as he glanced in the review mirror.  
  
"Fine. Ok! I can live without Sonic."  
  
"Good, now let's- WHOA!" Duo interrupted himself as everyone looked ahead to see a Taurus fly to a nearby cluster of bamboo.  
  
Trowa parked the minivan a few yards away from the Taurus, behind a bush.  
  
"What's going on? I can't see." Relena said, confused.  
  
Heero got out and silently pushed back a branch. Everyone but Relena and Duette got out to join him. A beeping could be heard as a door opened just shy of where the Taurus was standing from underground. The pilot looked around, and Heero and the others peered from behind the bush. Satisfied no one was there, the pilot descended under towards the supposed base. Now all they had to do was either sneak in, or find someone guarding nearby and ask for directions, while someone else sneaks in.  
  
"Ok, here's what we're going to do," Heero instructed, "Duette, you and Relena walk up to that guard over there, and ask them how to get..somewhere, got it?"  
  
"Why us?" Duette asked, feeling unimportant.  
  
"Duette, you can't just go in with us and.fight." Trowa stated firmly.  
  
"Yes, you're quite right, Trowa, I agree to go ask with Duette. The rest of you will sneak in, ne?" Relena obliged.  
  
"Yup, you got it. Then we'll, umm, steal some Tauruses or something, you know." Duo confirmed.  
  
"Sounds good," Wufei said, ready to go.  
  
"Quatre? Catch all that? You look far off." Duo said, as he waved a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Whoa,...yeah. Can we go now?" Quatre replied.  
  
"Hai. Let's go." Heero said as Relena and Duette made their way cautiously towards the guard.  
  
"There they go." Wufei whispered as the pilots started to slink by the side of a large fern.  
  
Duette was a little ahead of Relena. They then both ran up to the unsuspicious guard. He spun around, pointing a gun at them.  
  
"Please! Don't shoot!" Duette said, waving her arms wildly.  
  
"What do you want?" the guard asked coldly.  
  
"Um, we just wanted to know," Relena said coolly, "how to get to..the airport."  
  
"Yeah! So, could you tell us, please? We're in a hurry to get to a party. We were kinda lost, but then we saw you!" Duette asked, putting on her most innocent smile.  
  
"Well, I suppose. Follow that path," he directed, "and you'll end up in Kinpa. From there,...someone will tell you."  
  
The guard pointed to the path, about 10 yards to the right of them.  
  
Relena smacked her head, "Oh! How stupid of us! Sis, I TOLD you we were going the right way! Jeez, thanks sir!"  
  
Both girls ran in the direction of the path. The pilots had successfully found another, quieter entrance than the noisy machine door. There was a stairwell right behind the supposed banana tree near where the Taurus was parked.  
  
"That one?" Duo suggested.  
  
"No! That's the guard's. Don't you think he'd notice if we tried to take it?" Wufei said, with a stupid face.  
  
"Right. C'mon guys, this way." Quatre said as he started down to a doorway to the far left, among 4 others.  
  
"Hmm, what to do." Trowa thought it over, "Let's split up, we each have a gun. One of us through each door."  
  
"Sounds good, I'll meet you all in the mobile suit room, wherever that is." Heero directed.  
  
The 5 pilots each went through their own door. None of them knew exactly what lay ahead, but they did know they needed a mobile suit.  
  
"Great. What are we supposed to do know?" Duette complained, hidden in the jungle with Relena, just a few feet from where the path opened up.  
  
"Well, we sneak back to the van..and.I don't know! Should we drive away? They'll get mobile suits, won't they?" Relena replied, uncertain.  
  
They both made a dash and got in the van, silently. They were several yards away, so the engine shouldn't be heard. Relena turned the key and started it up, but not all the way.  
  
"Okay, this is just too noisy. Duette, he'll hear us if I turn it on! I'm going to put it in reverse, alright?" Relena confirmed her plan.  
  
"Yeah, that sounds good. I don't wanna get caught and get killed! Duo would be so sad!" Duette agreed.  
  
And with that, Relena silently drove backwards on the dirt road until they were well away.  
  
"I still think we should've waited." Relena said, worried.  
  
"Oh, they'll be fine! Trust me!" Duette had a lot of faith in them.  
  
Relena still felt like she should have confirmed this with Heero first. Nothing we can do now, she thought. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
Duo crept through the dark hallway. His gun cocked, he turned a corner, sharply, but only to find nothing threatening.  
  
"Man, this is boring. Where's all the guards and stuff? Talk about stuff, where's the mobile suits?" Duo was very confused, but tense nonetheless.  
  
As he began to walk, he nearly tripped over what looked like a giant button.  
  
"Hmmm, I wonder if I do this." he said as he jumped on it.  
  
A large door opened to his left.  
  
"Jeez, I wouldn't of noticed a thing like that." Duo commented as he approached the opening.  
  
It was very cold. And pitch black. He slowly headed inside.  
  
Wufei quietly made his way down his corridor. So far, nothing, he thought. A soldier darted past a door a few feet in front of him. A couple seconds later he dashed back to see what was waiting for him in that hallway. Wufei fired and the soldier fell down, dead.  
  
"Now that that's done, I'm sure there's more on the way." Wufei said to himself.  
  
He ran past him, to turn right, towards a fairly large door. It had a special computer code. An easy thing for a Gundam pilot to crack. He was done in a matter of minutes. As he went in, a dozen tiny lights turned on all around him. A dark form outlined the light.  
  
Trowa strode down his hallway, peering in numerous doors, to find nothing. He could see another hallway ahead, with one more room to go. The door was closed. He slowly opened it, and to find something very surprising.  
  
Someone, or something was struggling in the far corner.  
  
"Who's there?" he asked.  
  
All he got was a muffled cry, that sounded like, "Help me! Get me out!"  
  
A puzzled Trowa lowered his gun, and approached what looked like a girl. A very beautiful girl. She had medium long jet black hair done up in odangos. Her violet eyes looked up at him fearfully.  
  
Quatre walked swiftly down his corridor. His eyes quickly darted inside every door, and he held his gun firmly in his hand.  
  
"Where are the mobile suits? We sure need them." He said, approaching a fairly large room.  
  
He slunk against the wall, and pointed his gun dead ahead as he ran in. Something was glowing a shocking blue-green in the darkness. He slowly walked over to it, and inspected it.  
  
"Eh?! What IS this? What do I do now?" he asked no one with an uncertain look on his face.  
  
He picked it up, unknowing of what it might do. It was in the shape of a cube, about the size of a tennis ball. It continued to glow in his outstretched hand. All of the sudden, he wasn't in the dark, damp room anymore.  
  
Heero stealthily walked down the hallway. It led to what appeared to be a dome, with unknown mobile suits in it.  
  
"Looks like I found out where the mobile suits are. But they're not Tauruses, in fact I've never seen them before." Heero shrugged and silently crept over.  
  
There was no one there to stop him from going inside, but not before carefully looking around the area first. Someone was waiting for him inside.  
  
"Hm, I see you've made it here." The unknown soldier said, sounding impressed.  
  
Heero pointed the gun at her.  
  
"There'll be no need for that, Heero Yuy. I'm Yuki Kawazuko. I came here to dispose of this filthy organization. I'm part of HOWL, against BAK." she said, wanting to join sides with him.  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes, "How did you know I'd be here?"  
  
"Don't worry. I know all about you pilots, and I'm here to help! Where's everyone else?" Yuki asked seriously, but friendly at the same time.  
  
Trowa untied the girl.  
  
"Uh, are you alright?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you so very much! I'm Yoshi Hayabaru, part of HOWL, a small group determined to defeat BAK, that's who's been staging all these battles and doing all this damage. You're Trowa Barton, right?" she explained.  
  
Trowa was shocked, "Y-yeah, I'm-"  
  
"I know, I know all about the Gundam pilots. No need to explain. Follow me!" Yoshi said as she ran down another passage leading to the mobile suits.  
  
As Wufei gawked, the form revealed a girl, his age. She had short blonde hair in pigtails. He stared into her light blue eyes.  
  
"Who are you, woman?" he demanded.  
  
"Jeez, ya don't have to be that way. I'm Hibishi Gudayama, part of HOWL. We're against all the battles and war started by BAK. We're on your side!" Hibishi explained.  
  
"Uh-huh. Can you tell me where the mobile suits are located?" Wufei asked sheepishly.  
  
"Of course. I'm headed there myself. Come on." Hibishi said as she headed in the direction of the dome.  
  
He followed swiftly.  
  
Duo peered around the room until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Some sort of portal began to form on the back wall.  
  
"What the hell." Duo trailed off.  
  
The portal glowed sky blue, and a girl with long red hair in a high ponytail braid stepped out.  
  
"Hey! Who are you?!" he asked, very dumb founded.  
  
"Hi there Duo! I'm Kimi Toshibo. I'm in a group called HOWL, and we're trying to stop BAK, this place's head organization. Come with me! To the mobile suit dome!" she said quickly, her green eyes shining.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I get it. But how'd you know my name?!" he asked suspiciously, his cobalt blue eyes sizing her up.  
  
"I know everything,.oh, just come on!" Kimi urged him.  
  
"Ok! Ok!" Duo said hurriedly and followed her.  
  
Yoshi, Hibishi, and Kimi ran up to meet up with Yuki. Yuki's long, light blue hair flailed as she ran towards Yoshi. Her magenta eyes brightened as she wrapped her arms around Yoshi.  
  
"Yoshi! I'm so glad we all got here safe! And I see we all completed the first part of our mission," Yuki said as she turned to face the 4 pilots, "Wait. Where's Quatre?"  
  
"Yeah, where is he? How come he didn't get escorted here by a beautiful girl?" Duo wanted to know.  
  
Kimi blushed, and giggled coyly. Yuki gave her a harsh slap on the back, to silence her.  
  
At that moment, a stunned Quatre appeared right in front of them, holding the blue-green box.  
  
"Nani? Uh, Quatre, what is that you're holding?" Trowa said, shocked and confused.  
  
"I really don't know." Quatre replied with a shrug, "But look who I found."  
  
Kaoru stepped from behind him, "Heh heh, hello everyone."  
  
Wufei made a face, "What happened to being a tour guide?"  
  
"Hey, it was just a cover!" Kaoru responded, then turned to Hibishi.  
  
Hibishi's eyes watered, and embraced Kaoru tightly.  
  
"Oh my god.I thought you had been killed during that ambush!" Hibishi cried out as she hugged Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru too started to tear up, "I thought all of you had been killed also, in that same attack."  
  
Yuki and Kimi ran over too, to comfort Kaoru.  
  
Kimi said, very solemnly, "I thought for sure there was no way we'd find you again!"  
  
"I'm so happy HOWL is reunited! But we have to be careful. Even though we took over this base, there might still be a few around." Yuki advised.  
  
"Yeah, I came across a straggler. Don't worry, I took care of him." Wufei assured.  
  
"We would have taken these Waks and used them to destroy the other BAK bases, but we knew HOWL just couldn't get rid of BAK alone." Yoshi informed the pilots, "That's why you all were brought here."  
  
"Umm, we were on our way here, as a matter of fact, we were about to bomb the whole place. We found it strange that it was almost deserted here." Heero stated.  
  
"Hold on here. Are you telling me there's only four of you in HOWL?" Quatre just couldn't bring himself to believe it.  
  
"Oh no. There were many others, 2 years ago. But after that OZ attack, just about everyone was wiped out, except us." Kimi filled them in shortly.  
  
"Hm,....hey! Watch out, I see someone coming!" Duo warned everyone.  
  
Relena made an absurd face, "ALRIGHT! That's it! I'm heading in, I mean come on! I haven't seen anyone go in or out for hours!"  
  
"So?" Duette shrugged.  
  
"Are ya coming with me, Duette? Cause I'm leaving now to look for them!" Relena stated boldly.  
  
"YES! I must find out what's taking my Duo so long!" Duette agreed.  
  
They both ran to where they last saw the boys. The trap door was easily found. Both ladies descended inside.  
  
"I'll be right back, hold on a sec, everyone!" Yuki said as she ran back to where the original doorway was.  
  
"Uh, okay!" Kimi said, not knowing what she was talking about.  
  
Yuki was nearly there when she could hear the shouts: "DUO!!"  
  
"HEEERO!!"  
  
Relena and Duette desperately wanted to know where in the hell their men were.  
  
"Hey! You guys, follow me, they're over here!" Yuki yelled as she got closer.  
  
"Who are YOU?!" they both asked together.  
  
"Oh, sorry, I'm Yuki Kawazuko." She smiled, "I'm on your side! Follow me!"  
  
Duette and Relena stared at each other, shrugged, and started to follow her, asking questions all the way.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the mobile suit dome.  
  
"Hey, would you mind telling me how you can just pop through a blue portal?" Duo very much wanted to know.  
  
"Oh, you mean that door?" Kimi giggled, "Just a screwed up door, I don't know! I didn't design this place! At least I figured out how it works."  
  
"Well, I guess you know who we are know." Quatre said to Kaoru.  
  
"Yeah, but that goes for me, too." Kaoru confessed, "I can.fly mobile suits."  
  
Quatre gave an incredulous look, "You do?! Nah, you're kidding, ne?"  
  
Kaoru shook her head, "No joke, I pilot the Ginga Breeze.a Gundam designed by a friend."  
  
"Jeez, does anybody else have any more freaky secrets?" Duo had had enough of all this 'Oh, I have a confession to make.' crap.  
  
"Hell no." Hibishi answered glumly, not feeling like revealing anymore, not yet.  
  
"Oh! I almost forgot! Trowa saved me!" Yoshi piped up.  
  
Trowa blushed.  
  
"He DID? WOW! Someone's hitting off pretty fast!" Kimi said as she slapped Yoshi on the back.  
  
Yoshi coughed, wide eyed, and nearly choked on the gum in her mouth.  
  
"Gah!..Umm, you have to admit, quite the hero." Yoshi said as she recovered.  
  
Trowa didn't know what to say, "Well, I couldn't just leave you there," he blushed some more.  
  
Just then, Yuki returned with Duette and Relena.  
  
Duette nearly knocked Duo over, "YAY! DUO?!! Are you ok?!"  
  
"Ugh! I'm fine! HEY, what are you doing here! It's dangerous!" Duo said before Duette kissed him.  
  
"Hmm, not really. We took over." Kimi replied, a bit engrossed in the scene.  
  
She had never seen anything like that before, not such a seductive encounter.  
  
Heero was a bit overwhelmed by how tight Relena's hug was, "Eugh, Relena. You shouldn't be here!"  
  
"Oh but Heero! I'm sorry, I just got so worried." Relena shook her head aimlessly, and let go of Heero.  
  
They had quite an audience. Everyone was a bit dazed after that. Heero stood with Relena, Duo with Duette, Trowa with Yoshi, Wufei with Hibishi, Yuki with Kimi, and Quatre with Kaoru.  
  
They each had their own small conversations, which had nothing to do with what they should have been doing. None of them even knew why they weren't doing anything. Like control.  
  
Chapter Five  
  
  
  
"Thank you for untying me, Trowa." Yoshi said as she gazed into his green eyes.  
  
"How did you get in such a mess anyway?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Well, I don't really know. I was supposed to specifically find you, so I went in this one room. But there must have been.I don't know. Something knocked me out and when I woke up, I was tied up. I needed badly to find you, before any other bases found out what was going on, so I called out for help. I didn't think I'd find anyone." Yoshi explained extensively.  
  
"Well," Trowa said softly, "I found you."  
  
"So, can you pilot a mobile suit too?" he asked quietly.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I pilot the Gundam Crashing Hope." She answered wistfully.  
  
"Relena, please don't do something like that ever again. I don't want to lose you." Heero said, very concerned.  
  
"I just got tired of waiting and not knowing what was going on. I felt that I had to do something. I'm sorry." Relena apologized.  
  
"Oh, it's alright. As long as you're safe." Heero said compassionately as he kissed her lightly.  
  
"Hmm, you know, you're a really good pilot." Hibishi complimented Wufei.  
  
"Yeah.hey. How did you know? Oh, that's right, you said you knew everything." Wufei wanted answers.  
  
"It's just the way things turned out, I guess. But hey, we can pilot Gundams just as well as Kaoru can." Hibishi stated, "We had the same special training you all had, at the same time too. My Gundam is called Eternal Flame."  
  
Wufei was somehow lost in her pale blue eyes, "Hm, that's interesting. You're smarter than the average woman."  
  
Hibishi was a bit bewildered, and didn't know if she was supposed to be flattered or offended, "..thanks."  
  
Yuki also piloted a Gundam, Rising Ki. Kimi piloted the Dragon Wing.  
  
Things were going very smoothly. Yuki felt so right putting people together. But her eyes faltered at the thought of love. Her love, back in A.C 196. He was a pilot too, before Yuki knew she was too, and had gone off to fight in order to protect her and the colony. He never returned. Kou, I miss you so much, Yuki thought to herself. She stood silently, deep in thought, beside Kimi.  
  
Kimi was somewhere else entirely. Her mind was floating on the edge of destiny. How did they all come to be here, having all been trained to be Gundam pilots? Relena and Duette were factors not taken in account for. All 5 girls had been good friends with Furlene, and she's the one that somehow knew everything that was going to happen in A.C.199, including meeting the 5 Gundam pilots. Kimi, Yuki, Kaoru, Hibishi, and Yoshi were the original female counterparts for the pilots. That was before Furlene died, and before Heero knew of Relena, and Duo met Duette. Furlene was the mysterious, legendary leader of all the Gundam pilots, not including Milliardo Peacecraft. It all intertwined with their destinies. Too bad Furlene was dead, Kimi thought, I was too young when she left us, if she was alive, I'd be asking so many questions.so many.  
  
"I didn't think I was gonna see you again, Kaoru. I just thought you were an innocent person in a BIG mess." Quatre said.  
  
"Yeah, I almost wish it was that way. I'm quite lucky to be here anyway." Kaoru replied, with mixed feelings.  
  
"Why? Did something happen?" Quatre was curious, "I don't know very much about you. You seem to know all about us Gundam pilots."  
  
"Well, back in A.C.195, I was on this one colony, near the resource satellite. That wasn't long before.I lost someone. I was just about to leave the colony, when a mysterious suit with tremendous power attacked. I didn't get it at all." Kaoru stopped to collect her wits.  
  
Quatre's mind floated back to when he first piloted Wing Zero. It couldn't be, he thought, it must be a coincidence.  
  
Kaoru continued, "The pilot had to be mad. He kept firing this beam cannon, over and over, nicking the sides of the colony. Then he came inside, and started spontaneously destroying things. It was a Gundam, this I'm sure of. But it couldn't have been any of you, right?"  
  
Kaoru faced Quatre, who just stood motionless, eyes a bit wide.  
  
"Uh, Quatre? What's the matter? Do you know?" she asked, confused.  
  
Duo came over just then, and hung his hand around Quatre's shoulder, "Hey man, aren't ya gonna tell her? Heh heh, that was you in there!"  
  
Quatre shook his head, "Uh-uh! No way!"  
  
Duo sweat dropped, "Uh, dude, it was you! You were all psycho and crap! Damn, that was some killing spree! From what Heero told me, anyway."  
  
Kaoru couldn't speak. She couldn't believe such a caring soul like Quatre's had lost all sense and nearly killed her unknowingly.  
  
Duette piped in, "Yep! Gee, Quatre! That would have been a big boo-boo, ne?"  
  
Quatre couldn't stop himself before he took her hands in his, "Look, I'm really sorry. I wasn't myself, it was the zero system, and it had control over me. Just like it did for the rest of us pilots. If I had known."  
  
"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Kaoru said with some difficulty, "you were doing that against your will."  
  
"Well, some of it was bitter rage that my father was killed because his comrades betrayed him. And I felt.umm, I was just wacked out, okay? I want to forget all that." Quatre explained.  
  
"Ahem, and he's mastered that system now, along with Heero and Milliardo!" Duo added, "I wish I had mastered it."  
  
"Aww, don't worry Duo dear! I still think you're the sexiest man alive!" Duette said as she hugged him tightly.  
  
"Heh heh heh, gee thanks Duette. I'm really looking forward to you showing the proof in that statement." Duo replied with resent.  
  
Hibishi walked up to them with Wufei, unusually cheery. She's usually a bit moody and sticks to business. But afterwards, she really loosens up to the person Yuki, Yoshi, Kaoru and Kimi know best.  
  
Yuki was shaken from her thoughts when everyone was just standing around her, staring into space, if not her.  
  
"Uh.guys. Here's what we should do, can you hear me?" Yuki said loudly.  
  
Everyone woke up. They nodded their heads, now listening intently.  
  
"Ok, the wise thing to do would be to check every single room in this whole base. This can't get out, alright?" Yuki said to the group.  
  
Relena had almost forgotten, "What about the guard outside? Someone should take care of him."  
  
"What an idiot. How could he not know what was happening?" Trowa wanted to know.  
  
"I'll do it." Kimi said, anxious for some action.  
  
"Alright, be back soon, ok Kimi? A clean kill, get it?" Yoshi confirmed with Kimi.  
  
She could get a little out of hand at times when it comes to killing an enemy.  
  
"Yeah, it's just one soldier." Wufei said.  
  
"Oh Heero! Can I go with her? Please!" Relena begged.  
  
"Na-nani?!" Heero was stunned, "WHY? You want to go with Kimi and watch some person get killed?"  
  
"No, I just want to do something. I'll be alright, Heero." Relena pushed.  
  
"Heero, just let her go. It shouldn't take long." Quatre said, wanting to get on with it, so they could be back and they could continue to untangle all this chaos.  
  
So, in the end, Heero gave up in trying to divert Relena from her wishes. While they were gone, everyone else went into the dome to try to figure out what the new mobile suits were all about. Luckily, the appropriate type of equipment was already there. They each examined the main parts. They didn't find too many characteristics that were different from all they'd seen. Nothing any of these pilots couldn't handle.  
  
"Where could all of this been.planned?" Duo asked darkly as he took another stare at the strange mobile suits.  
  
The color of the suits was silver, with ominous green areas, like where the cockpit opened up. They were relatively medium sized, that of about a Taurus. Actually, they resembled Tauruses pretty well, except for the colors. But there were also numerous modifications that went far beyond a Taurus. Each suit was equipped with a small beam sword. Sort of like a dagger.  
  
"So, you don't know that much about these suits either?" Trowa asked Yuki.  
  
"Well, I know some of us have piloted one of these before, in extreme situations." Yuki replied.  
  
"Yeah, but not here. No, it was far away, back in space." Hibishi stated.  
  
Wufei's eyes widened as her turned to her, "Nani? Duo! How come we didn't know that?!"  
  
"Uh, well, maybe cause we were on vacation!" Duo answered quickly, "Oh, dammit, wait a sec.yeah! How come, Heero?"  
  
"Ahem, Heero!"  
  
Heero climbed in one of the Waks. Everyone expected him to take off, but he didn't. He wanted Relena to be back with the others first. All he did was inspect all of the controls to see if anything was different, or to find out why it was so special. After about 8 minutes of silence, or as close to silence as it could get, it was interrupted when Kimi and Relena suddenly appeared through the "portal like" door.  
  
"You guys! We've got to hurry!" Kimi said breathlessly, "The soldier is gone!"  
  
They had ran all the way back, after seeing no one anywhere near the base.  
  
"Huh? I thought you were supposed to kill him!" Wufei questioned with suspicion.  
  
"He must have found out somehow, and now he's gone to inform BAK!" Relena said with dismay.  
  
Heero sorted the situation, and before anyone else could say anything, sped off through the top hatch, which was luckily already open.  
  
"O-oi! You can't just speed off--jeez!" Duo yelled as he got farther away.  
  
"Oh boy, I guess he's taking matters into his own hands, ne?" Hibishi said, calmly.  
  
"Well, he may think he can accomplish it alone, but he doesn't even know where he's going. I'm going with him." Trowa stated as he got in a Wak, and followed Heero.  
  
"Kay, Duo, you are staying with me here, right?" Duette asked as she started to undo his braid.  
  
"Whoa, stop it!" Duo said as he tore it from her grip.  
  
"But it's messy! I want to fix it!" that was only half of it, and Duo knew it.  
  
"Heero and Trowa can't do this together either," Quatre said, "Let's send a few more of us out to search for BAK."  
  
"Sounds good, but make sure to keep enough of us here in case BAK soldiers return." Kimi agreed.  
  
"Here's what we should do, since we can't just leave Relena and Duette here. Me, Wufei, and Kimi will go search; and Duo, Quatre, Kaoru, Hibishi, and Yoshi will stay here to defend our base with Relena and Duette." Yuki planned.  
  
"I'm not saying that I'll go just because you told me to, I think that's a good plan and you'll need me." Wufei confirmed his thoughts freely.  
  
Everyone else agreed, and the three of them left to fight the upcoming BAK fleets with Heero and Trowa, and the rest stayed to defend the base. They knew it wouldn't be long before someone arrived. The Rising Ki, and Dragon Wing, along with the Wak Wufei was piloting, sped off through the top hatch. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
  
  
"Thank you for untying me, Trowa." Yoshi said as she gazed into his green eyes.  
  
"How did you get in such a mess anyway?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Well, I don't really know. I was supposed to specifically find you, so I went in this one room. But there must have been.I don't know. Something knocked me out and when I woke up, I was tied up. I needed badly to find you, before any other bases found out what was going on, so I called out for help. I didn't think I'd find anyone." Yoshi explained extensively.  
  
"Well," Trowa said softly, "I found you."  
  
"So, can you pilot a mobile suit too?" he asked quietly.  
  
"As a matter of fact, I pilot the Gundam Crashing Hope." She answered wistfully.  
  
"Relena, please don't do something like that ever again. I don't want to lose you." Heero said, very concerned.  
  
"I just got tired of waiting and not knowing what was going on. I felt that I had to do something. I'm sorry." Relena apologized.  
  
"Oh, it's alright. As long as you're safe." Heero said compassionately as he kissed her lightly.  
  
"Hmm, you know, you're a really good pilot." Hibishi complimented Wufei.  
  
"Yeah.hey. How did you know? Oh, that's right, you said you knew everything." Wufei wanted answers.  
  
"It's just the way things turned out, I guess. But hey, we can pilot Gundams just as well as Kaoru can." Hibishi stated, "We had the same special training you all had, at the same time too. My Gundam is called Eternal Flame."  
  
Wufei was somehow lost in her pale blue eyes, "Hm, that's interesting. You're smarter than the average woman."  
  
Hibishi was a bit bewildered, and didn't know if she was supposed to be flattered or offended, "..thanks."  
  
Yuki also piloted a Gundam, Rising Ki. Kimi piloted the Dragon Wing.  
  
Things were going very smoothly. Yuki felt so right putting people together. But her eyes faltered at the thought of love. Her love, back in A.C 196. He was a pilot too, before Yuki knew she was too, and had gone off to fight in order to protect her and the colony. He never returned. Kou, I miss you so much, Yuki thought to herself. She stood silently, deep in thought, beside Kimi.  
  
Kimi was somewhere else entirely. Her mind was floating on the edge of destiny. How did they all come to be here, having all been trained to be Gundam pilots? Relena and Duette were factors not taken in account for. All 5 girls had been good friends with Furlene, and she's the one that somehow knew everything that was going to happen in A.C.199, including meeting the 5 Gundam pilots. Kimi, Yuki, Kaoru, Hibishi, and Yoshi were the original female counterparts for the pilots. That was before Furlene died, and before Heero knew of Relena, and Duo met Duette. Furlene was the mysterious, legendary leader of all the Gundam pilots, not including Milliardo Peacecraft. It all intertwined with their destinies. Too bad Furlene was dead, Kimi thought, I was too young when she left us, if she was alive, I'd be asking so many questions.so many.  
  
"I didn't think I was gonna see you again, Kaoru. I just thought you were an innocent person in a BIG mess." Quatre said.  
  
"Yeah, I almost wish it was that way. I'm quite lucky to be here anyway." Kaoru replied, with mixed feelings.  
  
"Why? Did something happen?" Quatre was curious, "I don't know very much about you. You seem to know all about us Gundam pilots."  
  
"Well, back in A.C.195, I was on this one colony, near the resource satellite. That wasn't long before.I lost someone. I was just about to leave the colony, when a mysterious suit with tremendous power attacked. I didn't get it at all." Kaoru stopped to collect her wits.  
  
Quatre's mind floated back to when he first piloted Wing Zero. It couldn't be, he thought, it must be a coincidence.  
  
Kaoru continued, "The pilot had to be mad. He kept firing this beam cannon, over and over, nicking the sides of the colony. Then he came inside, and started spontaneously destroying things. It was a Gundam, this I'm sure of. But it couldn't have been any of you, right?"  
  
Kaoru faced Quatre, who just stood motionless, eyes a bit wide.  
  
"Uh, Quatre? What's the matter? Do you know?" she asked, confused.  
  
Duo came over just then, and hung his hand around Quatre's shoulder, "Hey man, aren't ya gonna tell her? Heh heh, that was you in there!"  
  
Quatre shook his head, "Uh-uh! No way!"  
  
Duo sweat dropped, "Uh, dude, it was you! You were all psycho and crap! Damn, that was some killing spree! From what Heero told me, anyway."  
  
Kaoru couldn't speak. She couldn't believe such a caring soul like Quatre's had lost all sense and nearly killed her unknowingly.  
  
Duette piped in, "Yep! Gee, Quatre! That would have been a big boo-boo, ne?"  
  
Quatre couldn't stop himself before he took her hands in his, "Look, I'm really sorry. I wasn't myself, it was the zero system, and it had control over me. Just like it did for the rest of us pilots. If I had known."  
  
"I'm sure it wasn't your fault," Kaoru said with some difficulty, "you were doing that against your will."  
  
"Well, some of it was bitter rage that my father was killed because his comrades betrayed him. And I felt.umm, I was just wacked out, okay? I want to forget all that." Quatre explained.  
  
"Ahem, and he's mastered that system now, along with Heero and Milliardo!" Duo added, "I wish I had mastered it."  
  
"Aww, don't worry Duo dear! I still think you're the sexiest man alive!" Duette said as she hugged him tightly.  
  
"Heh heh heh, gee thanks Duette. I'm really looking forward to you showing the proof in that statement." Duo replied with resent.  
  
Hibishi walked up to them with Wufei, unusually cheery. She's usually a bit moody and sticks to business. But afterwards, she really loosens up to the person Yuki, Yoshi, Kaoru and Kimi know best.  
  
Yuki was shaken from her thoughts when everyone was just standing around her, staring into space, if not her.  
  
"Uh.guys. Here's what we should do, can you hear me?" Yuki said loudly.  
  
Everyone woke up. They nodded their heads, now listening intently.  
  
"Ok, the wise thing to do would be to check every single room in this whole base. This can't get out, alright?" Yuki said to the group.  
  
Relena had almost forgotten, "What about the guard outside? Someone should take care of him."  
  
"What an idiot. How could he not know what was happening?" Trowa wanted to know.  
  
"I'll do it." Kimi said, anxious for some action.  
  
"Alright, be back soon, ok Kimi? A clean kill, get it?" Yoshi confirmed with Kimi.  
  
She could get a little out of hand at times when it comes to killing an enemy.  
  
"Yeah, it's just one soldier." Wufei said.  
  
"Oh Heero! Can I go with her? Please!" Relena begged.  
  
"Na-nani?!" Heero was stunned, "WHY? You want to go with Kimi and watch some person get killed?"  
  
"No, I just want to do something. I'll be alright, Heero." Relena pushed.  
  
"Heero, just let her go. It shouldn't take long." Quatre said, wanting to get on with it, so they could be back and they could continue to untangle all this chaos.  
  
So, in the end, Heero gave up in trying to divert Relena from her wishes. While they were gone, everyone else went into the dome to try to figure out what the new mobile suits were all about. Luckily, the appropriate type of equipment was already there. They each examined the main parts. They didn't find too many characteristics that were different from all they'd seen. Nothing any of these pilots couldn't handle.  
  
"Where could all of this been.planned?" Duo asked darkly as he took another stare at the strange mobile suits.  
  
The color of the suits was silver, with ominous green areas, like where the cockpit opened up. They were relatively medium sized, that of about a Taurus. Actually, they resembled Tauruses pretty well, except for the colors. But there were also numerous modifications that went far beyond a Taurus. Each suit was equipped with a small beam sword. Sort of like a dagger.  
  
"So, you don't know that much about these suits either?" Trowa asked Yuki.  
  
"Well, I know some of us have piloted one of these before, in extreme situations." Yuki replied.  
  
"Yeah, but not here. No, it was far away, back in space." Hibishi stated.  
  
Wufei's eyes widened as her turned to her, "Nani? Duo! How come we didn't know that?!"  
  
"Uh, well, maybe cause we were on vacation!" Duo answered quickly, "Oh, dammit, wait a sec.yeah! How come, Heero?"  
  
"Ahem, Heero!"  
  
Heero climbed in one of the Waks. Everyone expected him to take off, but he didn't. He wanted Relena to be back with the others first. All he did was inspect all of the controls to see if anything was different, or to find out why it was so special. After about 8 minutes of silence, or as close to silence as it could get, it was interrupted when Kimi and Relena suddenly appeared through the "portal like" door.  
  
"You guys! We've got to hurry!" Kimi said breathlessly, "The soldier is gone!"  
  
They had ran all the way back, after seeing no one anywhere near the base.  
  
"Huh? I thought you were supposed to kill him!" Wufei questioned with suspicion.  
  
"He must have found out somehow, and now he's gone to inform BAK!" Relena said with dismay.  
  
Heero sorted the situation, and before anyone else could say anything, sped off through the top hatch, which was luckily already open.  
  
"O-oi! You can't just speed off--jeez!" Duo yelled as he got farther away.  
  
"Oh boy, I guess he's taking matters into his own hands, ne?" Hibishi said, calmly.  
  
"Well, he may think he can accomplish it alone, but he doesn't even know where he's going. I'm going with him." Trowa stated as he got in a Wak, and followed Heero.  
  
"Kay, Duo, you are staying with me here, right?" Duette asked as she started to undo his braid.  
  
"Whoa, stop it!" Duo said as he tore it from her grip.  
  
"But it's messy! I want to fix it!" that was only half of it, and Duo knew it.  
  
"Heero and Trowa can't do this together either," Quatre said, "Let's send a few more of us out to search for BAK."  
  
"Sounds good, but make sure to keep enough of us here in case BAK soldiers return." Kimi agreed.  
  
"Here's what we should do, since we can't just leave Relena and Duette here. Me, Wufei, and Kimi will go search; and Duo, Quatre, Kaoru, Hibishi, and Yoshi will stay here to defend our base with Relena and Duette." Yuki planned.  
  
"I'm not saying that I'll go just because you told me to, I think that's a good plan and you'll need me." Wufei confirmed his thoughts freely.  
  
Everyone else agreed, and the three of them left to fight the upcoming BAK fleets with Heero and Trowa, and the rest stayed to defend the base. They knew it wouldn't be long before someone arrived. The Rising Ki, and Dragon Wing, along with the Wak Wufei was piloting, sped off through the top hatch. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six  
  
  
  
As Yuki, Wufei, and Kimi flew just above the forest's treetops, something suddenly appeared not too far away.  
  
"Ugh! We can't afford to waste time fighting meaningless soldiers!" Wufei said in anger.  
  
Yuki thought differently, "Well, we have to do something!"  
  
The Waks were getting closer and closer.  
  
"Let's fight them! They shouldn't be too hard! You CAN handle it, right Wufei?" Kimi asked, very anxious to battle.  
  
"Ooh! I'll show you!" Wufei yelled as he raced to meet the Wak soldiers head on.  
  
But as the mobile suits were merely a few yards away, they saw it was much larger than they thought. What they got was a very big surprise. It was the Preventers, with carriers that held their Gundams!  
  
"Wha!! Who are they!? Oi!" Kimi started to panic. They weren't Waks.  
  
Wufei was just short of attacking the carriers when he realized who it was. He sighed but didn't let his guard down They were in unknown Gundams plus a Wak, and wouldn't be recognized right away, therefore they were still in danger. Finally they came to a complete stop.  
  
"Kimi! Those are mobile suit carriers!" Yuki cried, then, to the Preventers, "Who are you?! Are you with BAK?"  
  
"No, we are the Preventers, against BAK. Who might you be?" it was Noin.  
  
"Noin! You're early, it's a good thing you came when you did." Wufei acknowledged.  
  
It was all clear to Yuki now, "The Preventers, we know all about you."  
  
"Early? What is in those carriers anyway?" Kimi was just about clueless.  
  
Noin sort of ignored that question and faced Wufei, "Sally and the others have set up a base not too far away from here. You DO want your Gundam, don' t you? Come on."  
  
"Hai, it's about time I returned to Nataku." Wufei agreed.  
  
"So, where do we go? What about the others back at the base?" Kimi wondered.  
  
"Yeah, and don't forget that we don't know where Heero or Trowa  
  
is.they need their Gundams too." Yuki was trying to size this all up.  
  
"Tell you what, Wufei, I'll just give you your Gundam here, and you all can continue your search. I'll go ahead to the base to return the Gundams, kitto?" Noin suggested.  
  
"Sounds alright to me, with Nataku, no soldier stands a chance." Wufei said confidently.  
  
"Don't underestimate BAK, or you'll regret it." Yuki warned sternly.  
  
"Let's move along now." Kimi urged.  
  
They all landed best they could without being noticed. Wufei hastily boarded Altron Custom and the three sped off.  
  
Things were very boring at the base, at least when it comes to fighting battles. Something else was going on though.  
  
Hibishi and Kaoru were trying to learn everything they could about the stored Waks. Kaoru's mind wasn't entirely on the mission, more on these new comrades. Yoshi had gone to inspect the inside of the base. She would be gone for awhile.  
  
"Oi, Kaoru, could you ask someone to scout the area surrounding here?" Hibishi requested.  
  
"I will." She replied simply.  
  
"No, I need you over here, ask Duo," then after Hibishi saw the predicament he was in, changed her mind, "Oook, how bout Quatre?"  
  
Duo was amazingly arguing with Duette. Quatre knew it wouldn't last very long.  
  
".but Duo! Don't you care for me?" Duette asked.  
  
Duo didn't like this sort of attention spoiling, because when there was business, Duette wanted Duo to think about her and nothing else.  
  
"I wish I had my Gundam, then I wouldn't just be sitting here doing nothing! Not now Duette, you know the answer to that question." Duo was very restless.  
  
Relena was very bored. Since she didn't know that much about the mechanism of mobile suits, she couldn't help Kaoru and Hibishi. So, instead, she just went over by the two of them and watched.  
  
Duette took a deep breath and tried to help. This was new.  
  
She gazed up at the Waks, "So, this is the big deal? They look like.what were they,.Tauruses?"  
  
Duo's eyes widened. He didn't think she ever paid attention to information he tried to give her so she wouldn't be totally clueless. That caught Quatre's attention too. When he saw Kaoru called him over, he just didn't know anything.  
  
"To tell you the truth, I really wish Wufei was here." Hibishi whispered to Kaoru.  
  
Immediately after she said that, she blushed bright red.  
  
When he came to her, she tried to look like she new what she was doing. Kaoru was still recovering from the little confession Hibishi had made.  
  
"Uh.nani?" he asked, trying to look her in the eye.  
  
"Umm, could you.." it was Kaoru's turn to blush.  
  
Hibishi sighed and collected herself, "What is it? Hello, Kaoru?"  
  
Kaoru had forgotten what she was supposed to ask him. She was a bit caught up in it all. More in him. They stared at each other.  
  
Relena broke the spell, "Weren't you supposed to."  
  
Hibishi could see it now, "Why don't you just go with him? Go scout the perimeter for possible intruders."  
  
"Do.we need the Waks?" Kaoru asked dumbly.  
  
"Well, yeah, if you want to be beaten in such a weak suit...together," Hibishi was having fun, "Ginga Breeze. Your Gundam, Kaoru."  
  
At this, Quatre and Kaoru both blushed furiously.  
  
Kaoru gulped, "Uh yeah,.right...duh."  
  
"This shouldn't take too long." Quatre said.  
  
As they started off, Relena sighed, "So, what do you think is gonna happen now?"  
  
Duo and Duette came to where the others were standing.  
  
"Oi, Hibishi," Duo said slyly after the two had acted reluctant as they took off through the dome.  
  
"Nani?" Hibishi replied, already knowing what Duo was going to say, "I'm glad Kaoru is interested in him, it's something for her that she's never had before."  
  
"It's so plain to see." Duette stated.  
  
"Yeah, he's been acting funny. As a matter of fact, so has Trowa.and Wufei." Duo agreed.  
  
Hibishi blushed at the mention of Wufei.  
  
Relena was quick to spot it, "That's not all."  
  
"Uh, I think Yoshi has found something special in Trowa." Hibishi said as she tried to cover up her reaction.  
  
"Well, he DID save her," Duo beamed, "and I know none of us have seen Trowa do anything like that."  
  
That made Relena remember, "Oh, I miss Heero-san!"  
  
Duette came over to comfort her, "Aww, don't worry Relena, he's fine!"  
  
Just then Yoshi returned, also having used the "portal" door.  
  
"Yoshi! So, everything in check?" Hibishi asked as she calmly walked over to meet her.  
  
"Hai, every thing is kitto, ok!" Yoshi answered..then was silent.  
  
"Trowa and the others sure are taking awhile." Duette said as she nudged Yoshi.  
  
Yoshi sweat dropped miserably and blushed slightly, "Well, they could be in a battle!"  
  
"Matte, why are Kaoru and Quatre taking so long?" Relena asked, forming something in her head.  
  
The others could tell, or at least Duo and Duette, so they tried not to think real hard about that.  
  
Duo smiled widely and made faces, "Whoo hoo, something must be going on!"  
  
"Duo! Keep your thoughts to yourself!" Relena had no business saying so.  
  
"What about you, ojou-san? I saw that look on your face, I know you too well!" Duo fired back.  
  
Relena didn't like that at all, "Don't call me that anymore! There's no need for that."  
  
Hibishi and Yoshi just stood there and sweat dropped while Duette stood silently.  
  
Kaoru and Quatre were nearly done scouting.  
  
"Your Gundam is awesome," Quatre complimented.  
  
"Domo. I've had it for awhile. It even sometimes." Kaoru felt silly about saying this.  
  
"Nani? What about Ginga Breeze?" he wanted to know.  
  
"Well, when I.do something, it's almost like." Kaoru started.  
  
Quatre knew, "It, in a way, communicates with you?"  
  
"Hah? Yeah, that's kinda what it's like." She replied shocked.  
  
"I think all of our Gundams mysteriously 'talk' to us. I know, I talked to Duo and he said it happened with him too." Quatre explained.  
  
"Hmm."  
  
Just then they saw the mobile suit carriers nearing, just as they were heading back.  
  
"Who's that?" Kaoru asked, bewildered.  
  
"Oi! It's the Preventers! We've come to deliver some mobile suits!" Noin greeted.  
  
"Hi there! Noin, we weren't expecting you yet, demo come on!" Quatre said hurredly.  
  
"Eh? Oh, right, the Preventers!" Kaoru exclaimed as they entered the mobile suit dome.  
  
Noin landed just short of the entrance to the base.  
  
Everyone gathered outside.  
  
"HAI!! My Deathscythe!" Duo exclaimed, and nearly hugged the Deathscythe Hell Custom.  
  
Duette just stared and watched as Duo began to parade happily.  
  
"Duo, save it for when the war's over, kitto?" Quatre suggested as he sweat dropped.  
  
"Uh, ne ne!" Duo said as he retained his calm persona.  
  
"Here I am with all your Gundams," Noin reported happily, "Except for Wufei's because we came across him and the others on the way here."  
  
By now, everyone knew everyone else. Noin could see the change in Quatre's eyes already. Hibishi and Yoshi also had the same kind of expression in their eyes even though she didn't know them at all.  
  
"So, Quatre, everyone but Heero and Duo still single?" she asked strangely.  
  
He began to cough and Duo slapped his back, "Oh yeah, same as it's always been."  
  
He winked at Noin.  
  
"That's very interesting," Noin said, "the discovery of 5 female Gundam pilots that is."  
  
Everyone took a huge sigh of relief as they planned what to do next. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven  
  
Heero flew rapidly over the forest, with Trowa not far behind. After noting Trowa's presence, they were now both scanning the horizon for any signs of a base.  
  
"We've been searching for a long time now." Trowa said, kind of distant.  
  
"Hm, so, Trowa, what is it?" Heero asked all of the sudden.  
  
"Nani? What do you mean?" Trowa had no clue.  
  
"Oh, I think you know. I've been eyeing you and you keep looking back, back towards the base. Why?" Heero complied.  
  
Trowa wasn't used to all this talk coming from Heero. Not to mention all these questions popping up. He wondered what Heero meant and forgot that he had asked him a question. He'd rather be thinking about a certain odangoed shoujo.  
  
"Trowa?"  
  
"Uh,.I."  
  
"What's back there? They can handle themselves."  
  
Really, what is up with you, Trowa? Come to think of it, Quatre's been acting a bit weird too.even Wufei is questioned in my mind, Heero thought, confused.  
  
Several more minutes went by, and then it just all came out.  
  
"Heero?"  
  
"Hn? See something?"  
  
"No, it's just that-the reason why I've been."  
  
"Does it have to do with a girl named Yoshi?" Heero was right on the mark.  
  
Trowa blushed, "Umm, I think she's.nice."  
  
Heero couldn't help but smirk, "You like her, don't you?"  
  
The tall pilot got even redder at this. Heero was enjoying himself.  
  
"Gah! It's not like that."  
  
"Trowa, don't tell me I'm wrong. It's so obvious."  
  
From then on Trowa just blushed some more, and he could feel Heero's eyes on him. They were silent after that. Heero was somewhat amused by this sudden turn of events. Finally, someone for Trowa. It's about time, Heero thought.  
  
As the two flew on, Yoshi kept popping and re-popping herself into Trowa's thoughts. The more he thought, the more he liked about her. Then, as to appear out of nowhere, a huge building just sprouted into the horizon.  
  
"Eh? That must be their base on earth." Heero said, right as always.  
  
"Hmm, hai. We should radio our base." Trowa replied, all serious and paying close attention.  
  
They were only 2 miles away now. They stopped in their tracks.  
  
"No, we're taking a huge risk being so close, let's head back. Once we near our base I'll radio them to prepare for the battle." Heero planned skillfully.  
  
"Kitto."  
  
The two Gundam pilots began to make their long fly back.  
  
After the short encounter with Noin, Yuki, Wufei, and Kimi were surprisingly not too far from Heero and Trowa. Since the 2 pilots were heading back, in their direction, they would most likely spot each other on radar pretty soon.  
  
Kimi was the first to notice them, "Oi! Heero, Trowa, is that you?"  
  
Rising Ki and Altron came to stand beside the Dragon Wing.  
  
"Come on, minna, we have to get back to the base with the others. Trowa and I have found BAK's main base." Heero stated grimly.  
  
"Wufei! Did Noin come?" Trowa piped in.  
  
"Oh yeah. She headed back to the base we took over." Wufei replied shortly."  
  
"AHEM! What do you mean, 'you' took over? It was us, the 5 HOWL soldiers!" Kimi said with a growl.  
  
"Okay, come on, we have to get back!" Trowa exclaimed, in a rush.  
  
"Well, I just assumed we were all together here! I didn't think that 'we' meant just us original Gundam pilots! Jeez." Wufei shot back, angered.  
  
Yuki doesn't get involved in what's not her business, so she just turned around and headed back behind Heero, who had left when it all began.  
  
With a sigh, Wufei and Trowa followed, with Kimi right beside them. They couldn't afford to argue at a time like this.  
  
After a meeting with Noin, everyone at the base just about knew what to do. The only problem was that Yuki, Kimi, Wufei, Trowa, and Heero were out searching, and they didn't know where they'd gone.  
  
Duo was quite the schemer. He slowly made his way over to Kaoru. She gave him a look that said: What ARE you doing?  
  
"So," he said as she looked at him strangely, "do ya like Quatre?"  
  
He had made sure Quatre was busy so Duo could get this done without him knowing.  
  
Kaoru looked at the ground, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Ya know, do you think he's a nice guy?" Duo said, looking for any hints on her bewildered face.  
  
"Well, yeah, I guess.so. He's been really polite to me and all, considering how he could be like Wufei if he wanted to." Kaoru replied, a bit uncomfortable.  
  
Hibishi's ears managed to pick up the sound of Wufei's name being said. She quickly ran over, and saved Kaoru.  
  
"So, what was that about Wufei?" she asked with a frown.  
  
"Nani? We weren't talking about him or anything like that," Duo said, than realized what he was capable of, "why? Do you like him or something?"  
  
Hehe, this way I can strike something up 2 ways! Duo thought slyly.  
  
Hibishi fumed as she tried to cover up her red face, "Na! Oh, look, Duo! I think I see Duette over there making out with.Quatre!"  
  
Anyone could tell that the stern female pilot wanted the attention focused far away from her.  
  
That last call made several pairs of eyes widen. This caused Kaoru to gasp loudly and look over to where Quatre was innocently standing, with a look of fear on his face. At this, Duette pranced over and knocked Quatre off his feet.  
  
"Ah! Duo! Get her OFF me!" Quatre's voice once again came out muffled.  
  
"DUETTE! What the hell are you doing?!" Duo screamed as he raced over to where they were.  
  
"Well.," Duette pondered, "I was bored!"  
  
Duo pried her off a stunned Quatre. He sat, sweat dropped, and was in a daze. All he had been doing was thinking about Kaoru.  
  
Yoshi couldn't help but stare. She had the most disgusted look on her face. But then, she thought of Trowa.  
  
"You know, you're not going to have many friends that way." Relena stated.  
  
Yoshi piped up, "And of all people, you say that, ojou-sama."  
  
"No no!! Didn't you learn anything from what Duo did? Uh, I mean.." Relena retorted.  
  
Yoshi smirked, then fell back to her pleasant thoughts.  
  
Noin hadn't ever seen anything like that before. She was just trying to get a hold of the Preventers, but it seemed that this base was too far out from civilization. Lucrezia tried her best not to be baffled. She knew Duette and all.it just seemed so clear that she was Duo's. But then she remembered the kind of person Duette was and just sighed wearily.  
  
"This shouldn't be so difficult." she said, trying to snag someone's attention.  
  
Relena was over there in a matter of seconds, glad for something to do and to get away from all that. Yoshi decided to escape the chaos as well.  
  
"What's the problem?" she asked politely.  
  
"There shouldn't even be a problem! For some reason, I can't get a hold of the rest of the Preventers through this transmitter." Noin replied, frustrated.  
  
Relena frowned, "All this tension is killing me! Why isn't this working all the sudden?"  
  
"I guess we're just too far away. We really need to find out where the others are-" Noin didn't get to finish her sentence.  
  
The ceiling practically collapsed as several WAKS appeared as the smoke cleared.  
  
"Duo! H-help!" came the frantic wail of Duette as she scrambled to get away from the massive mobile suits.  
  
She almost shoved Duo off balance, but he caught himself. He held her close.  
  
Hibishi glared upwards with furious violet eyes at the stationary WAKS, "Dammit!"  
  
Yoshi had a look of vengeance as pure as ever. Everyone raced to board their Gundams. Ginga Breeze, Deathscythe Hell Custom, Sandrock Cutsom, Crashing Hope, and Eternal Flame stood lined up, ready to do battle. 


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight  
  
  
  
All five Gundams, plus Noin's advanced Taurus continued to stand opposite the Waks.  
  
Duette and Relena had nowhere to hide.  
  
"Noin! Where do we go? Oi! I don't want to get in the way of this battle!" Relena shouted.  
  
"Um, uh.get as far away from here as you can! Both of you!" Noin answered quickly, then darted her eyes back to their foes.  
  
"Our orders are to destroy the Gundams and anyone else in BAK's way." One of the pilots said, monotone.  
  
In a matter of minutes all the Waks were lying in heaps in the bashed-up base. The pilots were in the same state.  
  
"That was stupid." Duo said as he went over to investigate.  
  
Kaoru raised an eyebrow, "Hmph, what was that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Were we supposed to be scared, or challenged by that?" Kimi said, jokingly.  
  
"Well, it wasn't as easy as a regular Taurus or something. We've got to figure this out." Quatre replied, more serious.  
  
"Duo!! Wha was that all about?! You looked so cool when you're on a mission!" Duette cooed as she ran to him from her hiding place.  
  
"Hehe, that was actually fun!" Duo replied.  
  
Hibishi was not particularly fond of the fact those WAKS were so easily defeated. That was the weirdest part. If they are really that weak, then it shouldn't be hard to diminish BAK, right? But maybe that was just a leur so they would think BAK was weak and then the Gundams would be blown away by an extremely strong attack.  
  
Hibishi decided to speak her thoughts,"Guys, we really have to watch our backs. This could be a trick."  
  
Relena, not the least bit shaken by this sudden attack, walked calmly up to the group, "Wouldn't it be better if we were all together?"  
  
As soon as she got the words out of her mouth, they all heard the all-too familiar roaring of a mobile suit lowering just outside the base. Everyone scrambled to the edge of the base to see who it was. To their relief, it was Yuki, Kimi, Trowa, Heero, and Wufei. They were finally back.  
  
"Damn, I hope you all found something important enough to take so long." Duette commented.  
  
Wufei didn't like that, "Shut up woman!! As a matter of fact, we found BAK's main base!"  
  
"Jeez, Duette, it was for a good reason! And you can't even pilot a Gundam." Kimi said wearily.  
  
"Oooi! Sorry, but who needs to pilot a Gundam when you have Duo?" Duette said as she jumped towards Duo and gave him a bear hug.  
  
Duo nearly fell backwards.  
  
He pushed her off, "Ok ok, now don't go start any cat fights!"  
  
Kimi really did like Duo, but she knew it was something impossible. That's really why she wasn't her hyper self. At first she had high hopes, but the second she saw Duette, Kimi knew nothing could be achieved on her part.  
  
"Wow, what luck!" Yoshi said, in a better mood. Not just for that reason either.  
  
"Heero!" Relena couldn't hold it in any longer, as she ran to him.  
  
Heero hugged her, and lightly kissed her lips, "This is really getting dangerous, I think you and Duette should find a place to stay while this goes on."  
  
Yuki was really fed up with it all, "That's a good idea. We need a plan, and not just any normal plan. You said that a few WAKS attacked earlier?"  
  
"Hmm, that's right. But they were barely a challenge, and one of the pilots seemed so sure of himself. I don't know." Duo turned to face Heero, Yuki, and Relena.  
  
Quatre wasn't sure about anything anymore, "Yuki's right. We have to be careful. Look's like I'll be using the Zero system once again, ne?"  
  
That made Kaoru spin around and face the group.  
  
"Zero system?? Isn't that the program that made you." she didn't finish.  
  
Heero was surprised they didn't know much about the Zero system, "Nani? Both Quatre and I have mastered it. I thought you knew everything."  
  
"I know that, but.you mastered it right? So nothing should go wrong?" Kaoru questioned with weary eyes.  
  
"Yeah yeah, don't worry." Quatre reassured with a soft expression.  
  
"Trowa, how was it? I mean, did you get away without being followed or anything?" Yoshi gained the courage to ask.  
  
Trowa's green eyes were fixated on Yoshi's violet ones, "We were fine. Now is the time to attack."  
  
Yoshi blushed and turned to see what Hibishi thought of the situation so far. What she found was Hibishi arguing with Wufei. After looking in that direction, she sought Yuki and Kimi.  
  
The only difference from any other argument with Wufei was that his voice wasn't any arrogant tone, but actually more concerned.  
  
"But Wufei! If we don't just bust in there and blow them all up, this could get worse." Hibishi trailed off.  
  
Hibishi wasn't her normal self, and even Yuki could of course see that.  
  
"We have to watch ourselves..I don't want anyone dying in vain." Wufei just couldn't hold his feelings like he usually did.  
  
Then Meiran crossed his mind. Small tears started to form in his eyes, but he blinked them away. No, he could handle all that, just like he had all these years. I can't betray Nataku.but.I really like Hibishi....I think I.love...  
  
Hibishi stopped and looked at him with wonder. He was.what was wrong? Why wasn't Wufei saying anything? Wufei's fists were clenched, and it almost looked like he was trembling, his expression unstable.holding back old memories.  
  
"Wufei? Are.you alright?" Hibishi's voice had a worried tone.  
  
They locked in a gaze that was unbreakable.  
  
"I'm..I'm fine." Wufei muttered, and then closed his eyes, letting the sad image of Meiran blowing up in Shenlong overtake him.  
  
Hibishi then let herself notice how everyone was gone..probably to discuss the matter before going into battle.she guessed in one of the rooms inside the MS dome.  
  
Wufei didn't know what to say.and then the next thing he knew, when he opened his eyes, he found Hibishi hugging him.  
  
Wufei's eyes widened, and then he wrapped his arms around her. And then, he could feel the pain ease, and his heart calmed down.  
  
It felt good to be hugged.  
  
"Wufei, you act like no one's ever hugged you." Hibishi said as she held on to him.  
  
Wufei let go and looked at Hibishi, "Well, it's not that.it's just that I lost someone, and.and when I met you."  
  
"Gomen nasai, oh Wufei, I don't know what to say." Hibishi was shocked, but now it was all clear to her.  
  
"Meiran was so beautiful, " Wufei explained, "she may not have acted like my wife, and I know I probably didn't act like her husband."  
  
This made Hibishi rather wide eyed.  
  
He continued, his persona gathered, "But, there really was something beneath it all. Even though we were supposed to be married, it was because of our culture. That's the way it was, and I really didn't have too much of a problem with it, I find myself knowing now. We often dualed, just for fun and training. Then our colony was attacked by OZ, and Meiran headed out to battle. As did I. When it was all over, we discovered that..she had died trying to protect the colony, and all its citizens."  
  
"I-I am so sorry.gomen ne." Hibishi said, her heart crying.  
  
Those tears that Wufei had held back all these years, couldn't be stopped now. They fell down his cheeks, and he quickly wiped them away.  
  
"Don't be sorry, Hibishi. It's not your fault." Wufei didn't want to hear how she was sorry for something like that.  
  
Wufei felt something that he hadn't felt since the faint time when Meiran was alive.  
  
He brought his hand up to stroke her face, and then he knew he loved her when his lips met Hibishi's. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine  
  
  
  
Back to where the meeting was taking place.  
  
"What I don't understand is why those WAKS weren't Mobile Dolls!" Duo exclaimed, confused.  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed, "This has to be a trap. It's got to be. Why would that battle have been so easy?"  
  
"Well, whatever they're thinking, we have to take action soon if we are going to stop them," Trowa added.  
  
"I am only going to say this once, " Noin turned to Relena and Duette, "You two have got to get out of here. It's not safe,"  
  
Duette frowned, "But I want to help!! I'm not going to just sit around and watch as Duo might risk his life, again."  
  
Everyone was looking at them.  
  
"Duette, please. I don't want you to get hurt! Don't you understand?!" Duo was getting frustrated now.  
  
Duette stood up from her seat, "Yes! That's it! I want to help all of you! I don't want to just stay away and wait for you to come back!! I promise, I'll do all I can to help!"  
  
"But how can you help? Tell me that!" Yuki asked, her voice slightly edged.  
  
"We can't just sit here, going through every little disagreement. Let's just go along with Duette. Duo, we'll all watch over her, ok?" Quatre said as he put a hand on Duo's shoulder.  
  
Duo shook his head, "But.someone like Duette, well, she doesn't know how to watch all that's going on! Something could happen to her when we're all busy fighting!"  
  
Yoshi was leaned against a wall, along with Kaoru, with Trowa not far away from them.  
  
"Duo." Kaoru said simply.  
  
"Nani? What do you think, Kaoru?" Duo asked as he turned to her.  
  
She closed her eyes, "Just let her go with one of us, she'll be okay,"  
  
"Come on, minna. Let's not argue over this! Duo! Let her.just let her come with us!" Yoshi tried to fix things. She too wanted to get out of this boring excuse for a base.  
  
Relena hugged Heero, "But.I can't bring peace like I did before.it's gone way out of my hands! Heero, can I stay too?"  
  
Kimi piped up into the conversation, "Relena can stay with me, Duette can go with.I don't know! Anybody else want Duette?"  
  
Quatre was quick to say, "No!", along with Trowa.  
  
Then a thought hit him, "Matte!! Where's Wufei?? And Hibishi?"  
  
Yoshi raised an eyebrow, and smirked, "Hmm....."  
  
And to everyone's surprise, it was Kaoru who shouted, very loudly: "WUFEI!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HIBISHI!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU??!?!?!?!!?"  
  
Everyone was a little shaken by the sudden shriek for two of the Gundam Pilots. Quatre looked down, he'd never heard anyone scream like that. But it was kind of different since Kaoru was the one who yelled for them. Her voice echoed out into the MS dome, to where Wufei and Hibishi were looking at eachother's Gundams, quite oblivious to anyone else.  
  
"Nani yo? Why is Kaoru screaming like that for?! Geez," Hibishi demanded.  
  
Wufei shrugged, then blushed slightly with a sort of bemused expression as they ran to the source of the echo.  
  
As they went to the meeting room, Wufei yelled, "What was that for?! By that shout, I'm guessing you wanted us, NE?"  
  
He then was then the center attention. Of the faces of his Gundam Pilot friends, and of the new ones.  
  
Duo couldn't help himself, "So, Wufei! Where have you been?"  
  
Yuki frowned, "Hibishi? What were you doing?"  
  
Hibishi had a look of denial, "Well! We were.just trying to form a decent plan without the noise!"  
  
"Get real," Trowa mouthed the words to Wufei.  
  
Relena started to say something, but Heero covered her mouth.  
  
Duette wasn't on restraints though, "Wufei!!! What were you two REALLY doing? Come on! It can't be as bad as what I do to-"  
  
She was cut off by a yank of both her braids.  
  
"YOW!!" Duette whined and wimpered.  
  
Yuki, Kimi, Kaoru, and Yoshi took Hibishi to another room. The five original pilots, plus Relena and Duette, realized it was just them in the room.  
  
"Nani? Why'd they go?" Quatre asked as he put his emotional shields down, since Kaoru was gone.  
  
Wufei sighed heavily and turned away, "Who cares? We never asked for help."  
  
Heero had it all worked out, as far as those other pilots anyway, "Wufei, do what you like, just don't get distracted from what we're doing here, understood?"  
  
Duo didn't think that was something only Wufei should concern, "Well, Heero, can you really say that?"  
  
Heero delivered a death glare, "What are you saying now, Duo? Relena knows damn well not to get in the way."  
  
"That goes for everyone else, ne?" Trowa asked.  
  
"Oh-ho, Trowa that includes you too!" Duo said as he nudged him.  
  
Trowa gave him a strange look and just shook his head.  
  
"I think your toy is getting bored." Quatre said, monotone, as he motioned towards Duette, who was writing in the dirt on the floor with her finger.  
  
When Duo saw what she had written, he very quickly swiped it away with his foot, embarrassed and a bit mad.  
  
"Duette! Why can't you just stay serious for once!" he yelled, even though he knew that nothing he was saying was getting through to her.  
  
She giggled then put on a mock-serious face, "Sorry Duo! Let's got kick some BAK ass!"  
  
Relena seconded that, "Yeah! There's no one that the Gundam Pilots can't defeat!"  
  
Noin had gone to speak with Yuki and the others. She returned with the five of them, and she sure as hell was ready to attack. Her old lieutenant habits would have set in, but they were Gundam Pilots and obviously didn't need orders. As Noin led everyone, she wasn't completely confident, but nevertheless tried to think positive. As they skimmed the trees, it was a very odd sight to see so many Gundams, and mobile suits in general in a group like that. Duette had managed to squeeze in the small cockpit of Duo's Gundam, and Relena, not wanting to risk trying to pilot a Taurus, went in Noin's.  
  
Normally there would have been some sort of mild conversation, but not this time. Not with all these new faces. Heero was sure that their fighting style had to be different in some way, but he didn't worry too much on it. Since those female pilots had been trained at the same tender age as the rest of them, there had to be most likely a related factor at the base of their training.  
  
"Duo!" came the sudden but expected wail from the Deathscythe.  
  
"What does that girl want now?" Kimi sighed. She felt uneasy about Duette being in Duo's cockpit, that she should know how to pilot a mobile suit if she's gonna be this guys 'lover'. And she barely knew any of these guys, but always got a bit red in the face when the braided pilot was around.  
  
Heero, Wufei, Trowa, Noin, and Quatre didn't even bother to find out what Duette had started. Duo was getting really annoyed with her. Not in any serious way, though.  
  
"Jeez, Duo! Why are you so moody?" she asked with a meek smile, than just stared out the window, no longer bearing that smile.  
  
Duo was a bit antsy, "Duette, don't.okay I might be moody, but god help me we're about to fight a serious battle!"  
  
"I hope you don't expect Duo to let you grope him if that's all that's on your mind," came a comment from the Sandrock.  
  
Yuki kept a low but steady conversation with Kaoru, Yoshi, and Hibishi, possibly discussing a battle plan.  
  
"If you've got something to say, we all want to hear it. We're all in this battle, remember?" Noin encouraged.  
  
Yoshi looked sheepish, "Oh no it's not that.well.it's not of your concern,"  
  
"I would hope not," said a somewhat disgruntled Wufei.  
  
All of them did have a lot on their minds, but not as much as Quatre. He knew now that he liked Kaoru very much, and was in fact attracted to her. He sensed that Duo knew this, but maybe Duette would get wind of it, although he didn't really like the idea, and she would just go all out for Duo and finally leave him in peace. Hmph, yeah right...he thought dimly. But it was something he had gotten used to living with. Quatre had pretty much been silent, embedded in his own thoughts. He'd never really felt love before, so it was all just rushing in on him. Trowa was acting funny, and it was a bit easy to tell how he felt about Yoshi, since he expressed very little feelings. Now Wufei.man, Quatre saw through him in a flash. He had been taken aback quite a bit on how quickly the strict and uptight Wufei could fall so quickly for that blonde Hibishi.  
  
Once again, Quatre couldn't continue his thoughts, for they were approaching the base and BAK's defenses were bound to come any second.  
  
"Oi, crazy woman," Wufei suddenly spoke up, referring to none other than Duette.  
  
All of the sudden, a scream could be heard, belonging to Duo. It sounded like he was pleading for his life. Both Trowa and Quatre heaved a sigh of annoyance. They knew what was really going on. Heero started to twitch mentally, and he really wished that girl was not with them.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?!" Kimi shouted.  
  
"Eeeep! K-kisama!!" Duo yelped once more.  
  
Then, Duette appeared on everyone's screen. Her face took up the whole thing, and she had a look of pure triumph on her face, her bright blue eyes shining. Yoshi gagged.  
  
Quatre groaned, "Well? Finally get what you wanted, eh Duette?"  
  
She then gave him what had to be a sensual look that said, "Watch out, or you'll be next."  
  
He cringed at that.  
  
Yuki was a bit disturbed, not as much as Kimi. She sat there, gaping, her mouth wide open. Kaoru had a completely baffled expression. Trowa had a hopeless look playing on his features, and he shook his head.  
  
Heero's Wing Zero Custom smacked the Deathscythe Custom with it's arm. "Stop it. Now."  
  
His voice had gotten icy, and it made even Duette retreat back to her corner of the cockpit. She did so reluctantly, though. Duo then regained his position. Duette was going to pay dearly for this. Especially in front of strangers, in this situation!  
  
"Huh? What was that all about?" Kaoru wrinkled her nose, "That was annoying."  
  
Noin coughed, "Don't mind her. Just focus on the upcoming battle, ok?"  
  
Wufei brow was furrowed, and he frowned, "Hmph, if you thought THAT was annoying..."  
  
No one had time to reply to that, because the base was in full view. But no WAKS, at least not yet. Quatre inputted Z-E-R-O into his Gundam, ready to go. Heero had already done this awhile ago.  
  
Duo straightened up his shirt, and had a very pissed look on his face. He had to have looked bad in front of everyone, including Noin. He couldn't suppress a growl, as he wanted badly for Duette to just disappear right now. She kept silent.  
  
"Here they come," Trowa announced, as the WAKS flooded out of the huge base. 


End file.
